THE GARDENER'S MONTHLY 



[November, 



1st of last year. Care should be taken never 

 to let the soil get dry, also to have it very 

 fine, and scarcely cover the seed. As soon as 

 they were up nicely, so that they could be 

 handled, they were transplanted about two 

 inches apart in seed pans. In a few weeks 

 they were large enough to be potted in three- 

 inch pots, where they made nice sized bulbs, and 

 each plant threw up from two to four flowers. 

 After they had finished flowering, water was 

 gradually withdrawn, but never allowed to get 

 dust-dry until the foliage had turned yellow 

 Then they were stored away under the green- 

 house pipes, the pots turned on their sides, 

 where they remained until last spring. As soon 

 as they started to make their new foliage (about 

 the middle of March) all the old soil was re- 

 moved, and the bulbs potted in two and three- 

 inch pots. The soil used was a mixture of equal 

 parts good turfy loam, leaf mould and peat. 

 It is quite essential that soil should be porous 

 and sweet. Use water sparely until they begin 

 to grow quite strong. Then place them in 

 a moist atmosphere of 60° by night, which 

 I consider quite warm enough for the starting 

 point. Some people advocate starting them 

 in 70°; but I think most of my friends will 

 find it induces them to make spindly and 

 weak growth ; but as the season advances, the 

 temperature should be increased. In a few 

 weeks, when the two and three-inch pots were 

 filled with roots, they were re-potted into four 

 and five-inch pots, where they have matured 

 their flowers this year. Do not, through in- 

 attention or neglect — as soon as they have 

 done flowering — throw them aside to take their 

 chance; for if the bulbs are dried off" very sud- 

 denly they lose their vitality for the coming 

 season ; hence the care necessary after their 

 blooming period is over. Our plants are all 

 in four and five-inch pots; each bloom meas- 

 uring 3 to 3J inches in diameter, and from 

 10 to 18 flowers on a plant fully open. I have 

 had a few of them photographed by Mr. P. D. 

 Ketchledge, of Belvidere, and have sent one of 

 the cards to the editor; so, if he can conveni- 

 ently insert it in the Gardener's Monthly, the 

 public will see I am not exaggerating. I have 

 omitted to say that the plants should never 

 be exposed to the sun, nor be allowed to get 

 dry while growing and blooming. 



If these directions are carried out, I think the 

 Gloxinias will be free from rust and thrip. The 

 erect flowering varieties are considered far more 



useful and superior than the drooping kinds, as 

 they are more appropriate for vases, bouquets, 

 &c. Every person who has a greenhouse, let it be 

 ever so small, may have a fine display of Glox- 

 inias during the summer, and it is doubtful 

 whether they can be surpassed, even by our 

 choice orchids. They can also be easily prop- 

 agated by the leaves, if you have an extra 

 variety you wish to increase. 



[With this came some magnificent specimens 

 of Gloxinia flowers, showing that Mr. Coles 

 knows full well what he is writing about.— 

 Ed. G. M] 



HARDENBERCIA COMPTONIANA. 



BY CHARLES E. PARNELL, QUEENS, N. Y. 



Hardenbergia (Kennedya) Comptoniana, one 

 of the many beautiful climbers that adorn our 

 conservatories, is an evergreen climbing or twin- 

 ing vine belonging to the Natural Ordar Legu- 

 minosae, and is a native of New Holland, from 

 whence it was introduced in 1803. It is an ele- 

 gant climber, attaining a height of from twelve 

 to eighteen feet, of not a very rambling disposi- 

 tion, with strong smooth stems and glossy green 

 leaves, the leaves being scattered or distant from 

 each other. It produces its flowers very freely 

 during the months of March and April in long, 

 erect racemes, each raceme being composed of 

 an immense number of bright blue flowers. The 

 Hardenbergia is a plant that requires a little 

 skill in order to cultivate it successfully. It 

 requires, and must have, good drainage, a 

 compost of two parts turfy peat, one part 

 well-rotted manure, or leaf mould, with the ad- 

 dition of a liberal portion of sharp sand, in 

 order to render the compost a porous and open 

 one. Water should be liberally supplied, but 

 care should be taken to prevent the soil from 

 becoming too wet; the plant requires to be 

 syringed overhead freely in order to guard 

 against the red spider, to which insect it is very 

 subject. The Hardenbergia can be planted out 

 in the greenhouse border and trained up the 

 rafters, or it can be grown in large pots, and if 

 the plants are carefully trained to a neat circular 

 trellis, they will form, when in blossom, excel- 

 lent specimen plants for decorative purposes. 

 But in order to guard against disappointment it 

 is well to remember the fact that young and 

 small specimens seldom flower well. Propaga- 

 tion is effected by seeds and cuttings ; cuttings 

 of the half-ripened wood are said to root freely 



